“If you know someone, have them help you make a connection. One way someone will get my attention is if someone meaningful at the company puts a resume in front of me. This resume has a sure shot of getting looked at.” – Marnie Woodward, HR Bank of America

To be forthcoming, you won’t find anything in this article that involves applying for random jobs on LinkedIn. Here are some tips on how to get people to refer your resume using LinkedIn…

Search By Company And Connect With Employees

Objective: Get in touch with someone from the company you want to work for and have him or her connect you with someone from that company who can better assist you in your job search.

Enter the company you are interested in working for in the search box.

Right away you should see employees from that company appear in the search results, along your degree of connection with them. For instance, a 3rd degree connection represents someone who has connections who are connected to your direct connections.

Connect with as many people as you can from the company (past or present).

Invite them to connect as a “friend,” select the box that says “Include a personal note,” then delete the generic message and write a two or three sentence message to them.

For example: “Hi John, I am really impressed by your resume. How do you like working for XYZ Company? I would love to chat with you for 5 minutes about what you do from day to day. Look forward to hearing from you! Thanks, Jane.”

Note: Once one person connects with you from the company, it will improve your success rate of connections with other employees, as you’ll now be a 2nd connection.

When you receive a response to your intro message, set up a time to talk with them for a quick phone call.

If someone connects with you, but doesn’t message you back (they probably didn’t see your message in the original invitation), send them a short four sentence message reiterating the original, that you would like to get on a quick phone call with them.

The phone call! It is all about them! You want them to talk about themselves and their own experiences the whole time. This conversation is not about you or asking for anything. How would you like it if a random person asked you for something? (Especially for a favor related to your place of employment?) More often than not, at the end of the conversation, if the conversation went well you’ll be asked what you are interested in and whether you need their help. That is your gold!

Other ways of connecting with employees on LinkedIn:

Utilizing Groups

If you join a LinkedIn group, you now have a free pass to connect with other group members (meaning, you can send them an invite even if you aren’t a 2nd or 3rd connection).

If you join an industry related group, there is a good chance that someone in that group will be working for the company you want to work for.

Once connected, be sure to mention the fact that you are both members of Group X to break the ice.

Alumni Network

Joining your college and even high school alumni network on LinkedIn is a critical step.

Most people are willing to support someone who when to the same school.

Always keep in mind that you still don’t want to approach your fellow alumni for anything right out of the gates. Even with a strong and shared bond, your fellow alumni don’t know you yet and therefore can’t vouch or help immediately!

Good luck! And remember… be BOLD in pursuing your dreams!

Written by Melanie Feldman and Joshua Siva. Co-authors of BOLD: Get Noticed, Get Hired

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